A: Pours a dark brown with a nice brown head that fades to a ring and leaves lacing all over the glass as you drink.

S: The nose is an amazing mix of vanilla, chocolate, honey, and barrel.

T: The taste is superb! Lots of vanilla, chocolate fudge, honey, roasty malt, and bourbon. The barrel has been toned down a bit here to let the chocolate and honey come forward more but it's still close to the forefront.

M: The feel is creamy and on the lighter side of medium...par for the course for the Eclipse series.

O: This is definitely one of the best variants. The barrel compliments the base beer perfectly and isn't overpowering at all. Age has done it some wonders as well. I had one fresh and it was a bit boozy but this is fudgy/vanilla heaven. (803 characters)

Perfect velvet mouthfeel, not as sweet as I remember the other one being, soft chocolate, some brown sugar, a lot of vanilla, the honey plays such a delicate but integral role in the overall flavor profile, bourbon-soaked oak lingers forever on the finish, zero heat - this beer is just fantastic. (688 characters)

S: The nose is bourbon-forward, quickly followed by all of the enticing aromas expected from a big craft stout - chocolate, vanilla, coffee, licorice. The alcohol is pretty strong and seems to propel the big bouquet to the nose.

T: Surprisingly, the bourbon is much more subdued than you'd think from its aromas. Instead of a hot bourbon-y blast, you get a nearly seamless package of flavors that wash over your palate. The chocolate and vanilla notes are there, licorice and coffee. But there's also rich buttery anchor to the flavor profile, almost like butterscotch. And the alcohol takes a back seat - it's there, but unlike most barrel-aged imperial stouts, this doesn't deserve the "boozy" descriptor. Finishes with a trace of lingering sweetness and alcohol warmth.

M: Rich and creamy, full-bodied. Carbonation is low, but the flavors are so harmonious you don't really need a big carb scrub.

Well, what can I say? I'm glad I popped this open, I've got a bunch of these cellared but I wanted to try their most coveted, this 18 year Elijah Craig (which is a delicious bourbon, I'm more of a Scotch buy, but EC bourbon is amazing) fresh. Absolutely lives up to the hype and price, this brew is a piece of art. (1,477 characters)

It took forever to get the wax out, and the bottle even fell on the floor while trying to open it.

Appearance: Once the wax was conquered, this thing pours beautiful. Thick, black and oily as you expect it to be. A first serving did not yield any head, barely a mantle, but my second pour did come with a more sizable head, thick lacing and good retention.

Smell: As I let it warm, the nose becomes more and more complex. Honey and sharp bourbon right away, then a bit of booze and cocoa nibs. I imagine Elijah Craig with hot chocolate, and voila, Eclipse! A whiff of vanilla at the end.

Taste: Chocolate is the dominant profile here, followed by some wood and spice. A tad of high-quality soy sauce as it goes down the throat. Mellow hoppiness at the end, like frolicking on an open field in Nova Scotia, gorgeous summer morning. Cigar ashes.

Mouthfeel: Thumbs a bit down here. Rather thin for such a big beer (although we can't forget this is "only" 9.5% instead of the 14% of other big stouts like Bourbon County.) Full flavor, though, and low-but-adequate carbonation. Great thick creaminess, and such a pleasant bourbon-y chocolaty finish.

Overall: This is truly outstanding. A beautiful sipper. The kind of beer I want to drink all day long!!! Better than porn, if I may say so. (1,404 characters)

A: Oily and black with a thin light brown head. Tons of lacing down the glass. Really good stuff.

S: Rich aromas of coconut, milk chocolate, bourbon, toffee and fudge. I could smell this all day. Truly incredible.

T: Nearly as good as the aroma. Coconut and some chocolate sweetness upfront, caramel, some honey and a touch of roasted malt and coffee on the finish. The slightest touch of bitterness at the end. Mouthfeel is absolutely perfect. Slick and velvety without being syrupy. I love this beer. (504 characters)

A: Pours near black with a quarter inch dark mocha brown head that bubbled away into a faint collar.S: I get strong notes of vanilla, coffee and smooth butter. I get a hint or two of wood and dark fruits as well. Overall the nose is smooth and integrated. I would say this is the most mellow and creamy of them all aside from PvW.T: The flavors are so buttery in this one. This beer is crazy rich and smooth. The bourbon is just barely warm, and flavors or caramel, vanilla, oak and wood dominate and blend well with the bourbon. I’m not getting as much coffee as the nose. Oak and buttery barrel bring up the finish, and the aftertaste is rich and lingers forever. M: Thick, full body, mellow carbonation and smooth and lightly greasy mouthfeel. The alcohol is just a touch warm at this point but it is hardly hot. Overall very smooth, rich and drinkable.O: One of the better stouts in the world and probably the best or second best Eclipse. Another couple months on this and the tiny bit of warmth that is left from the bourbon will be all but integrated. A very rich, smooth and well done beer. (1,131 characters)

A- Oily, midnight black pour with a finger width of short lived light tan head. Recedes to several swirls and gobs and a ring around the glass. Lacing is decent and the alcohol will not let go of the glass.

S- Bourbon, oak, slight char that mingles with coffee, brown sugar, espresso, molasses and a touch of licorice. The bourbon is mild and not overpowering. Smooth and warming in the nose.

T- Whoa mamma that is good. Right off the bat you get a super mellow, slightly warm bourbon followed by a light char taste and a touch of leather. Than the sweetness of vanilla and brown sugar kick in. Followed by bakers chocolate and a touch of coffee. There is a lingering bitter finish. The alcohol is turned way down in this. The bourbon really shines and lights the way for the rest of the beer to be as impressive.

M- Medium to full bodied. Creamy, velvety, smooth with a touch of carbonation and alcohol warmth.

O- This is remarkable. It's complex, and hearty and smooth and just luxurious. I set out to find any bottle of these variations and I think this was the one to get. (1,095 characters)

A-Dark opaque brown black with a frothy black cherry mocha head that has great retention and good lacing.

S-Bourbon sweetness, lots of vanilla and oak but not overly boozy. Pretty approachable.

T-Reasonably hot but not unpleasant in any way. Lots of oak and toasted marshmallow, just a great bourbon character with a nicely flavorful stout underneath. I like the relative lightness of the stout but that it is still strong enough to hold its own with the barrel.

2011 Vintage, bottle #4287. At the time of this review, this beer is the #29 beer on the "Top Beers - American Double / Imperial Stout" list on the best of beeradvocate.com. Yeah, it really is that good. This beer is effing amazing. Served in a DFH snifter.

Beer is black with a nice thin tan head of small bubbles, moderate to low carbonation, some lacing, decent retention.

Beer is medium bodied, sweet up front, the alcohol cuts through a little but ultimately the bourbon and oak win out over the alcohol, vanilla, creamy mouthfeel, great finish, one of the best stouts I've had in a while. (687 characters)

2011 vintage poured from a 22oz bottle into my Devil's Backbone tulip. It poured pitch black in color with a thin tan head clinging to the edges of the glass.

The aroma is very rich with chocolate, bourbon, oak and vanilla all coming out in it. I get a little bit of roasty coffee to it as well. The bourbon barrel flavors are well done and very complimenting. A lot of bold flavors are there, but it really comes together well and balances the imperial stout and barrel aging characteristics very well.

The taste shows more of the bourbon and chocolate up front. The finish is where I get more of the woody oak and vanilla mixing with some roasted malt bitterness. The oak seems to outshine the bourbon a little for me. Very smooth with some excellent, bold flavors to it. Again it really comes together well and feels very balanced and smooth for the style.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied for the style with carbonation being moderate. It did feel a little thin at times, which is probably my biggest criticism of it. A little heavier mouthfeel and lower carbonation like BCS for example would really put this one over the top.

Overall it was a great beer. They really did a good job complimenting the beer with some great bourbon flavors. Very bold and flavorful but also smooth and drinkable. Very nice beer to sip on this evening. This one definitely rivals some of the best barrel aged beers I've had. (1,414 characters)

Enjoyed this while watching the second half of a painful Superbowl (I don't like either team). The beer saved the game for me. Fantastic rich bourbon aroma, red ring of lace on top of the beer, deep black viscous liquid that makes it a sipper. What's nice is that it's dialed back a notch from some of these crazy bourbon barrel beers. Not overly sweet or thick, not overly alcoholic. It's still... a drinkable beer. The malt notes are rich, too, with a good roast presence of coffee and carbon. There's enough bitterness to allow it a clean finish. Balanced.

It's a badass beer, and if I weren't watching the booze level, I'd have polished the bomber off solo. Fantastic job, Todd. (683 characters)

S: There's not much layering to this, or a linear story line to the smell. It just all hits you at once, but it's still very complex. Dark fruits stand out (figs, raisins, prunes), brown sugar, sweet espresso, dark bitter chocolate, vanilla, lots of oak, whisky tannins (leathery), boozy heat, tobacco, and probably a hundred other notes that I just can't discern.

T: Bigger than the nose, but similarly simultaneous. Huge dark fruit flavor, dark chocolate, vanilla, brown sugar, espresso, whisky barrel, oak, soy sauce, tobacco, and some light grassy hop notes in the finish. Lots of boozy heat throughout, and especially in the finish, which sticks with you for a spell.

M: Has a lighter body than I'd expect, but still overshadows any regular stout. Very little carb. Has a ton of boozy heat in the finish--has the best aspects of whisky without the bite.

Well worth the $28 price tag. I enjoyed every sip of it, and I'll remember this one for a long time. (1,210 characters)

Thanks to futura123 for hooking me up with this one, not a beer I thought I would get the chance to try!

Appearance: As expected, 5050 Eclipse pours thick and black with only faint red edges visible when back lit. A rough pour yields a massive, creamy, dark tan coloured head that lasts amazingly well for a barrel aged imperial stout and even leaves a thick coat of lace as it recedes. If I couldn't already smell delicious notes of chocolate and bourbon coming off of the beer, I would be quite happy to just sit and look at it for a while!

Taste: As the nose suggested, this is delicious! The initial flavour is of sweet caramel, vanilla and quality bourbon. Sweet dark fruits, oak, butterscotch, chocolate fudge and coconut soon join the picture. The finish is lightly bitter with a cocoa note and a ton of bourbon like alcohol. As the beer warms the alcohol flavour grows a little too much and detracts slightly from the other flavours.

Mouthfeel: The body is actually quite a bit lighter than I expected; being just under full; the carbonation is also a little higher than I expected (and than I generally prefer in imperial stouts), but it is stunningly smooth and makes 5050 Eclipse supremely drinkable and I find my self wanting to gulp rather than sip! The finish is lightly bitter, quite dry and gives quite a bit of alcohol warmth in the throat and down to your stomach.

Overall: Another stunning bourbon-laced imperial stout from California. I am going to have to go hunting for the other barrel aged Eclipse variants as well as a few more bottles of this! (2,081 characters)

Bottle number 5348. Shared with Amyliz4 and served in a SAVOR wine glass.

Pours near-black with a pretty good light mocha head and a surprisingly-large amount of lacing as it goes down. Thin cap recedes a bit quickly and makes way to a thin collar, which holds throughout. The nose brings bourbon first and foremost, but then has a good dosing of coconut and vanilla. Light oak character. Chocolate there as well.

Flavor has good oak, coconut, and vanilla in addition to the bourbon. Subtle roast and chocolate in the background. Most everything seems to be coming from the barrel and I won't complain one bit. Full body and chewy with just a bit of booze. Low-medium carbonation. Great complexity. Absolutely exceptional. Boom. (731 characters)

Pour is a nice deep brown color, not quite as black as other stouts, a faint head appears and fades quickly but leaves a lot of film atop the beer with swirls of brown, white and caramel. Complex aromas jump out, vanilla, chocolate, mild coffee as well, but quite muted. The barrel expression is perfect, not overpowering, but still distinct and complimentary to the other aromas. The flavors are perfect, chocolate, bourbon, caramel, vanilla, coffee, coconut, hazelnut all come to mind, chocolate and bourbon came out the most on my tongue, balanced in harmony. It felt like each sip brought out another flavor. The body is a bit thin, something I've noticed with every variant, but the carbonation is spot on for the style.

Verdict: Amazing. One of the best variants to date, and also one of the best fresh variants I've had. (878 characters)

A - Black with a thick light tan head. Head sticks around and lingers. Very good looking beer.

S - I can just smell the inside of that barrel. A malty, warm, bourbon smell. Chocolate, vanilla, and dark fruit come to mind. Pretty much exactly how I love a wonderfully aged imperial stout to smell.

T - The bourbon is so well melded to the stout, it's impeccable. Up front, the stout tries to shine through a little with some maltiness and sweet candied flavors, but then the barrel comes up. Not that I'm complaining. The oak, vanilla, and bourbon flavors are on point and warming without being hot. A complex marriage of taste that makes you ponder each sip.

M - The first thought was velvet. It's got a little heat as a barrel aged stout should have, but in no way hot and seems to go down so smooth. Malt gives some body, and along with the barrel, can make this a sipper. Carbonation is there, but not too much, not too little, right on point.

O - I realized, that everything I thought about above, I kept thinking about how well FiftyFifty nailed this. So good. Really. This is one best enjoyed with that barrel still present to show the full body and complexity of this beer. (1,221 characters)

22 oz bottle, 2012 version bottle number 4425, poured into a tulip glass.

A- Pours black with only a very thin layer of mocha head, leaves good lacing.

S- Very nice aroma, excellent balance of sweet chocolate and dark fruit with roasted espresso and grain. Has additional layers of caramel and molasses as well as vanilla and bourbon.

T- Absolutely delicious. Lots of dark chocolate and dark fruit, has a slight acidic twang from dry, roasted grains, nice coffee and espresso bean flavor as well as bourbon and vanilla. Caramel and molasses as well. Balances a lot of sweet flavors that all work together very well with roasted flavors. Flavors have deep complexity.

M- Full-bodied, smooth, creamy, palate-coating and thick, has a very rich, decadent feel.

O- An outstanding stout, I'm not sure how it compares to EC 12, I would say they're very close, no joke this is a hell of a stout, just further testament to 50/50's skill with the barrel. Really pick this one up, it's a treat. (988 characters)

One of the white wales in this series for me, this is a 2012 bottle that pours a rustic murky thick sludgy dark brown with a dark tan head and spider web lacing as it drinks. Dynamic nose of oaky sweet bourbon, way more dramatic than the other bourbon editions, less boozy, more vanilla bean, and a very good platform for the chocolate notes in the malt to launch from. Time has done this well as the booze is nonexistent and while the honey flavor is all time, there is little residual sugar. It's just so well integrated, and the better bourbon barrel has predictably produced a better beer. This is as good as any other version I have had, and may even be my favorite of the lot! A must for fans of the series (712 characters)

A - black, opaque, thin tab head that easily fades.S - oak, vanilla, bourbon, coconut, almondT - roast, dark chocolate, vinous / port wine, alcohol heatM - thankfully, thicker than the 2010. Not syrupy but very thickO - a great RIS. This is up there with Parabola and Black Tuesday in my top 3. (298 characters)